Device for closing spouts of cans.



A. T. COFFIN.

DEVICE FOR CLOSING SPOUTS 0F CANS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.24. 1911.

l ,fi69,39 Patented June 11, 1918.

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ALBERT 'r.

COFFIN, or E-L Jen-so, rEXA-s.

DEVICE FOR CLOSING SPOU'TS 0F CANS.

Application filed September 24, 1917.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT T. COFFIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso' and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Closing Spouts of Cans; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in devices for closing the spouts of cans, and has for its object to provide an improved device which may be set atany desired position to secure the required flow through the spout, and held in this posit-ion by a positive locking device which will maintain its position despite the jarring which the can receives in ordinary handling.

It is another object of the present invention to produce an improved spout closing device in which the parts will be simple and economical of manufacture, and the operation will be capable of easy and quick manipulation.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through a can and spout illustrating my closi11 device associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the spout closing device; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, and disclosing a slight modification.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a conventional form of can for containing liquid, and provided with a tapering spout 2. A tapering cork, or other valve 3 is fittedto reciprocate in the inner end of said spout 2, the same being carried on the lower end of a rod or stem 4. There are preferably disks 5 and 6 threaded, or otherwise fitted on said rod or stem 4 and bearing against the opposite ends of the cork or valve 3. These disks may be driven together on the valve stem 4 for the purpose of compressing the cork 3, and for this purpose the valve stem may be threaded as indicated at 7.

The valve stem 4 extends upwardly through and beyond the mouth of the spout 2, and receives near its upper end a bar 8, held thereon as by soldering or other suit- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 121%.

Serial no. 192,994.

able means, and formed with a series of raised beads/9 separated suiliciently to proi draw the bar against the tip 11 of the spout in order to hold said tip in one of the spaces 10 between adjacent beads 9, whereby a locking of the valve stem and valve is achieved.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the spring 12 is secured to the inner Wall of the spout 2, and has its upper curled end 13 wound about the stem 4 with the like purpose of drawing the locking notches 10 against the tip of the spout. The upper terminal of the valve stem 4 is turned at right angles, as indicated at 14, to provide a finger grasp through which the valve stem may be reciprocated to open and close the valve 3; and a cross bar 15 is placed at a suitable position on the bar 8, or other moving part, to limit the downward movement of the valve stem and to prevent the Valve from accidentally falling in the can 1.

The device is operated simply by taking hold of the finger grasp 14 and swinging the valve stem 4 slightly to the right, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to disengage the notch 10 from the tip 11 of the spout; and when so freed the stem and valve 3 may be moved in either direction to open or close the spout, or to place the valve in any intermedi ate position to give the desired flow. When the valve has been properly adjusted, the finger grasp is released and the spring 12 or 12, as the case may be, will quickly return the bar 8 against the tip 11 and lock the device in the new position.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claims.

1. The combination with a can, and a delivery spout therefor, of a valve fitted in the inner end of said spout for controlling the passage of fluid from said can, a stem for moving said valve passing through said spout and projecting a distance out of the mouth thereof, a series of spaced projections carried by and movable with said stem, the spaces between said projections adapted to receive the outer end of the spout to hold the stem and valve in the adjusted position, and yieldable means for constantly tending to bring the appropriate space between said projections against the spout end, substan tially as described.

2. The combination with a can, and a spout having a curved wall, of a valve adapted to seat against the inner end of said spout, a valve stem connected to said valve passing Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

